I have finally learned the culinary secret to a hardboiled egg that peels perfect everytime. This has been adult pursuit of mine and I have only just mastered it. I am also stymied by the sheer number of types of eggs now available: caged, free-range, free-run, cage-free and now PASTURE RAISED. You can even purchase Mayo with Cage Free Eggs. Apparently the housing of the hen is the heart of the matter.

Scruffy hospitality is liberating! House cleaning is important but it shouldn’t prevent us from opening up our home. Mess means a house well lived in. Community building amongst friends and strangers is healthy for our souls even without the pinterest perfect setting!

A Wasteland of Dust

It remains invisible until I walk through the house and see my home from my guest’s point of view: fingerprints on the fridge, books and journals piled high next to our reading chairs, a thin layer of dust settled on picture frames and window sills. If the measure of dust on the top of the fridge is the true test of good housekeeping, I fail miserably.

Then there are the chips, the cracks and the broken. My shabby chic style is very forgiving and suits my personality. But anticipated guests can be the perfect incentive to clean and repair. Depending on the occasion I have been inspired to paint, buy new dishes and replace forlorn linen. All the acceptable flaws in my home start to stand out with the anticipated arrival of guests and my adrenaline kicks in.

Scruffy Hospitality

But the desire to make everything picture perfect can be very limiting. Dust and messiness shouldn’t keep me from offering up my home for gatherings. We crave each other’s company. Scruffy hospitality is a brilliant trend. Don’t let the pressure of having pinterest perfect meals and settings prevent you from enjoying good company and conversation.

The housework can wait. What freedom to say, come for dinner and don’t mind the mess. It’s easy to throw together spaghetti with fresh baguettes and salad for perfect comfort food or suggest a potluck with a few of your friends.

Practicing Hospitality

Practicing Hospitality is life giving. Dr. Christine Pohl has an awesome teaching position, Professor of Church in Society. She researches and writes about how Christians should practice “welcoming”. She has two books I recommend – they are not recipes books or how to set an inviting table landscape.

Make Community Happen

Community meals can happen with a sink full of dirty dishes. Warm touches of candles and homemade dessert paired with stimulating conversation are the essential components of entertaining. I sometimes have Conversation Starters at each place setting to be sure everyone has the opportunity to share and help to get to know one another more.

A Lost Beatitude
Blessed are the guests. Buffing and polishing commences in their anticipated arrival! Or not and that’s okay.

always be eager to practice hospitalityromans 12:13

We love a deal! We love fashion! So “Fast Fashion” seems to be every girl’s dream. Fast Fashion is inexpensive clothing that is so cheap we binge buy. It is essentially disposable clothing. As it turns out cheap clothing has a dramatic impact on the environment and the workers who make them. Fast Fashion has a higher cost than we ever imagined.

I have finally learned the culinary secret to a hardboiled egg that peels perfect everytime. This has been adult pursuit of mine and I have only just mastered it. I am also stymied by the sheer number of types of eggs now available: caged, free-range, free-run, cage-free and now PASTURE RAISED. You can even purchase Mayo with Cage Free Eggs. Apparently the housing of the hen is the heart of the matter.

In the late seventies I was a teenager with a passion for social justice. When I learned that thousands of babies in Africa were dying from formula mixed with unsanitary water I got involved. Nestlé used unethical marketing practices to promote the use of formula over breast milk. A boycott of Nestlé products ensued. No more Nesquik or Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies. My commitment has lasted 40 years!

Our family pets were a Golden Retriever named Rosie and rescued Jack Russell affectionately known as Dixie Doodle. We shared living space for almost 20 years. Our family of four was made more complete with the antics and unconditional love of these two dogs.

About Me

My life, our lives, have backstories. Everything we have, everything we believe has been influenced by someone or something. My values, ideas and brands I choose all have a Backstory. It is those stories that I want to share with you.